Available during April - September 2019.Marked & OPEN Mated Carniolan Queens. We recommend for guaranteed next day arrival to select "Special Delivery" on the shipping page.We cannot be held responsible for loss in transit or delayed delivery if you do not use a guaranteed service.

Queens will arrive in an introduction cage marked Green for 2019 and unclipped. Please note to beginners - you cannot start a colony with a queen only, you require either a full hive, package or a nuc.

Queens are only posted Monday-Thursday to avoid being in the post during the weekend. Only queens specified for Saturday delivery will be posted Fridays.

Postage cut off time is 8AM. Orders after this time may be posted the following working day.For Saturday Delivery please select "Royal Mail Saturday Guaranteed" in the checkout.

If you wish your queen to be dispatched on a certain date please select this when ordering (those without dates will be dispatched ASAP), please remember we do not dispatch Saturdays or Sundays and Fridays are restricted to Saturday postage customers only. All queens require a signature on arrival - no exceptions.

Queens generally can be kept caged safely for about 5 days after arrival when kept in a cool dark place and watered twice a day.

Provided with instructions for successful introduction**, see the product videos above for a more detailed installation guide.

Imported from Greece

The Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica Pollman) is a subspecies of the western honey bee. The Carniolan honey bee is native to Slovenia and to some regions of the former Yugoslavia, southern Austria, and parts of Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

The bee is the subspecies of the Western honey bee that has naturalized and adapted to the Kočevje (Gottschee) sub-region of Carniola (now in Slovenia), the southern part of the Austrian Alps and the northern Balkans. These bees are known as Carniolans, or "Carnies" for short, in English. At present this subspecies is the second most popular among beekeepers (after the Italian bee). It is favored among beekeepers for several reasons, not the least being its ability to defend itself successfully against insect pests while at the same time being extremely gentle in its behavior toward beekeepers. These bees are particularly adept at adjusting worker population to nectar availability. It relies on these rapid adjustments of population levels to rapidly expand worker bee populations after nectar becomes available in the spring, and, again, to rapidly cut off brood production when nectar ceases to be available in quantity. It meets periods of high nectar with high worker populations and consequently stores large quantities of honey and pollen during those periods. They are resistant to some diseases and parasites that can debilitate hives of other subspecies.

*Only shipped next day if instant payment such as bank transfer or paypal is used. Cheques need to be cleared prior to post. Postage cut off time is 8am Monday-Friday.

**Successful introduction is never guaranteed, unfortunately this is nature where nothing is guaranteed!

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Reviews (3)

Customer Reviews

I was a first time buyer of queens and really didn't know which type to choose (Buckfast or Carniolan) so opted for one of each from BS Honey Bees. I needed Saturday delivery so I ordered them Wednesday evening and delivered by a somewhat surprised postman early Saturday morning. They arrived well packaged and with a clear set of instructions (though I'd also recommend their videos). The pink spot was clear on the Buckfast queen but I think it had rubbed off the Carniolan one)

3 weeks later and both queens have been accepted into their new colonies. The Buckfast queen is a lot calmer than the Carniolan but she also is not quite as quick in her laying speed. I'd certainly buy again from BS Honey Bees but I'm still undecided as to which type I'd go for, maybe the next few months will help me make up my mind. (Posted on 25/06/2018)

I had a queenless colony and needed a queen quickly. She turned up super quick and was in great condition. I had an unexpected issue with my colony and so called for advice on how best to intoduce the queen. The colony is now queen right and picking up! Great service, thank you. (Posted on 01/06/2013)

i can only say i am really impressed by the speed your company sent my order for a carniolan queen.even the packaging was impressive a padded jiffy bag with ventilation slots in it. not the usual grubby envelope.needless to say the queen and her entourage were in first class order.I will be dealing only with your company in future. (Posted on 21/05/2013)